Can't get chest to grow

[OnTheSauce]

It's infuriating. I feel like I've tried everything. I'll get a good burn/pump, but it never seems to get any bigger. I'm 192lbs sitting around 10%bf, but nearly all my mass is in my legs and back. I hit chest twice a week, this is my workout not including warm up sets:

Day 1:
Incline DB press 3 sets of 5
Decline BB press 3 sets of 5
Incline DB flyes 3 sets of 8
Cable Flyes 3 sets of 8
Pec Deck 2 sets of 10
Weighted Dips 2 sets of 8


Day 2:
Incline DB Press 3 sets of 12
Flat DB Press 2 sets of 10
Flat DB flyes 2 sets of 15
Cable Flyes 2 sets of 15
Pec Deck 2 sets of 15
Pushups 2 sets to failure

[baseline_9]

Try training chest once a week with low volume and very high intensity. Dorian yates Style...

[baseline_9]

Decline DB Press.... 3 warm up sets, 1 working set to failure and beyond including forced reps and a drop set also with forced reps...

Incline DB or Machine Press.... 1 feel set, 2 working sets to and beyond failure including forced reps, drop sets, rest pauses, partials, negatives...

Cable Cross overs.... 2 working sets as above

Barbell bench Press.... 1 working set as above


Shoot for 6-8 reps solo with 4-6 forced/partial forced reps

[OnTheSauce]

When i first started lifting, i did it once a week at low reps, didnt see much progress. so i switched to 2x a week. saw a little growth, so stayed with it. I never go to failure, so ill start doing that on my last set and make workout partner force 1 or 2 more.

[baseline_9]

just remember warm up sets are just that..... take it rally easy and keep the reps round your working weight reps.... dont kill yourself on your warm ups....

Working sets are where the magic happens, keep them intense, keep the weight moving, dont pause and most importantly take the muscle to full concentric and eccentric failure

[gmantheman]

Maybe cut way back on the volume.

[OnTheSauce]

cut back the volume? I have been on cycle for 10 weeks and don't feel like hitting chest twice a week is overtraining at all.

[gmantheman]

29 sets per. week seems like overkill. I can see how you are getting a good pump/burn but that doesn't mean too much when trying to add size.

[baseline_9]

cut back the volume? I have been on cycle for 10 weeks and don't feel like hitting chest twice a week is overtraining at all.

When I train chest it is sore for 5 days....

Normally do 6-8 working sets....

[Simple-RR]

If you've been doing this routine for 10 weeks then I'd suggest changing your exercises now. Training your chest twice a week is perfectly fine, however you've got way too many chest exercises in your routine which is most likely your problem; stick with 2-3. (If you're going to do 5-6 exercises per routine, then you should only train chest once a week). Bulk training is 8-10 reps with a moderately heavy/heavy weight (5 reps is more for power/strength, you wont notice much size). I heard a rumor that training upper chest/lower chest on the same day interferes with muscle growth slightly, although it's just a rumor that I haven't researched yet. Of course I've gotta reiterate that you should be flexing your chest at the climax of each rep (e.g. bench press, flex as you're pushing the bar up and flex even harder when the bar comes to rest at the starting position). <-- This is key.

[gmantheman]

I would say cut back to 10-12 sets total per. week. If you want to do it 2x per. week cut it to 5-6 worksets per session.

[tall76]

You need to go until failure. Also I agree with the other posters, cut back on volume and go way up on intensity

[Brohim]

I would say cut back to 10-12 sets total per. week. If you want to do it 2x per. week cut it to 5-6 worksets per session.

yep you don't need to overtrain chest to grow. Doing two huge chest workout's in the same week is no gravy. Hit it hard then let it rest until it's not sore and go from there. IMO stick to flat bench one week then decline the next. Don't hit it from every angle each workout. Try this and see.

[lmmalone]

Like they've said, try once a week chest days.

Get a good spotter, and go above your max work load at the end of your workout. For example, if your max set is 3X5 @250, do that. Then grab a spotter that you trust and load up 270. Lower it as slowly and with as much control as you can. Then push it with 100% effort, having your spotter give as little help as they can.

I started doing that and my chest started growing noticeably

[domeyeahaigh]

yep in my peak i was training each body part once a week..they would be sore for about 4-6 days on cycle or off

hit em hard

[skeeter715]

Baseline made a lot of good points and brings up good things with negatives at end of sets and working each set till failure. I use to count but then realized I wasnt tired so I just went till failure. Simple rr brings up good logic. If something was not helping, then mix it up. One super set I use to do that really brought a good pump was starting off incline press super setted with decline machine. 3 sets of that till failure and tell me if your elbows can touch lol. Try it out I hope that can help. Everyone in this forum has said some good stuff, wish you best man.